Hi, we’re Lobsang Wangdu and Yolanda O’Bannon, and we founded YoWangdu Experience Tibet in 2009 to support local Tibetan people while helping travelers with simple, safe and ethical Tibet travel planning.
Lobsang Wangdu
Lobsang is a web developer, an experienced Tibetan chef, and a digital photographer with many years of volunteer service for the Tibetan Association of Northern California.
He spent over twenty years as a monk training in Buddhist philosophy, and holds a Master’s degree in Madyamika from the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamsala, India.
Lobsang works as a web developer and photographer at the University of California Office of the President’s Natural Reserve System.
Having long dreamed of using his photography and technical skills to run his own business, Lobsang co-created YoWangdu in 2009, with the mission of enabling visitors to experience the joys of Tibetan culture.
Lobsang thrives on making his clients happy with exceptional customer service, and is inspired by the motivation to contribute to much-needed education projects for Tibetans.
The beloved Tibetan cookbook — Tibetan Home Cooking — is based on Lobsang Wangdu’s original recipes, with great help from some friends who are wonderful Tibetan chefs. Lobsang learned to cook at a young age by watching his aunt and uncle in Tibet, and as he grew older, he assisted experienced Tibetan chefs, asking questions while he helped cook. He loves making people happy with his cooking.
Yolanda O’Bannon
Yolanda serves as web producer, writer, editor, and photographer for YoWangdu.
She is a long-time world traveler and travel writer, with a special passion for Tibet and Asia.
Yolanda works as a certified hypnotist and life coach who helps highly sensitive women access the healing power of their unconscious mind. You can learn more about her work on her website.
Yolanda spent many years supporting the preservation of Tibetan culture, serving as either staff or volunteer in a number of Tibetan support organizations, including the Milarepa Foundation, Tibet Online, the Committee of 100 for Tibet and San Francisco Team Tibet.
She is formerly the senior executive and editorial assistant to Dr. Bruce Alberts – a U.S. National Medal of Science winner, and formerly the Editor-in-Chief of Science magazine and a United States Science Envoy. In addition, she has worked for years as a web producer.
Lobsang and Yolanda are married and live in the San Francisco Bay Area, where they love to hike, travel, cook and eat Tibetan food.
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I just wanted to quickly send through a HUGE thank you!!!
I have just returned from my trip overseas. Your insights were invaluable!
You connected us with [a Tibet agency] and their whole team was phenomenal, from the very first enquiry email all the way through!!!
Your page helped me to choose October! My mum (72 years old) also came along to do the Lhasa 4 day highlights tour!
We studied all things you had written, we used your packing list and most importantly we followed your advice for altitude sickness, coming from Melbourne, Australia with an average altitude of 100-150m , we were very aware of the situation and we had no issues at all. NONE! We were able to enjoy every moment!
I am going to unsubscribe from the email list now that my journey has come to an end. However I wanted to acknowledge you and the phenomenal work you have done, and in information you provide!!
THANK YOU
I hope it goes without saying if I’m ever headed back that way, or any one I know is, I’ll be sure to recommend you and loom you up again!
STEPHANIE POLAN, AUSTRALIA
I have now just returned from having two of the best weeks of my life travelling in Kham. It was the perfect tour.
KATRINE LODINGTON, AUSTRALIA
… last year I asked, and you recommended [a] guide service in Tibet. We took the advice and will always be grateful we did. Every day I think of our too short a time crossing Tibet meeting wonderful people, seeing amazing geography and spending deeply moving time in very special places across the country
